Book Eight "Favorite Wife" by Susan Ray Schmidt

So I have really been into the HBO series Big Love as of late. As I was watching it a few weeks back, I realized that polygamy is a topic that I really don't know much about. I figure that the biggest reward I am taking from this challenge is knowledge of subjects that I would usually not know much about otherwise. So I downloaded the memoir Favorite Wife to learn a little more.

Susan was fifteen years old when she married Verlan Labaron. Verlan had five other wives previous to Susan and was worn thin from that. Not to mention, he is also one of the leaders of the church compound that his family had founded in Mexico. Knowing no other lifestyle but polygamy for most of her life, Susan is filled with excitement on her wedding day. She has finally found her spot in the celestial kingdom.

However, life as a polygamist's wife proves to be quite difficult. With five other wives in her family, money is extremely tight. Verlan is rarely even home, and when he is, the wives must alternate their time spent with him. He has 27 children when Susan is first welcomed to the family, and he continues to marry other women. By the age of 16, Susan has already had her first daughter and has another child on the way.

Susan's problems also spread farther than her fast growing family. Ervil Labaron, Verlan's older brother has separated from the church and their prophet Joel. Ervil is power hungry and begins recrutting members of the church to join his violent cult in an attempt to seek blood atonement for individuals that they believe are not following Joseph Smith's teachings. Susan's family is torn apart by Ervil, and death threats become more and more prevalent after the murder of the Prophet, Joel Labaron.

I feel that I learned a lot from this book. I never understood how anyone could stand for polygamy. I suppose this is because I never really thought of it as a cult. The brainwashing and the promise for eternal salvations brings it all to light. It is hard to believe anything else exsists when you are born into such a lifestyle.